Chapter 78 - 77 Denied Access
Arrogance is a disease that rots a person from the inside out.
Before I can fully enter the partition room, I hear Julian’s grating voice.
“You’re going to regret this, Emily Vance!” He yells so loud that I’m sure the people in the other room would have heard him.
I stop and turn to him.
“You don’t know the kind of treasure I’m about to lay my hands on. You don’t know the miracle changing drugs I’m about to acquire. When I do, I’ll be more powerful than anyone in this country. I’ll be more powerful than even you.” He turns to Victor Sterling.
“And all of you would regret ever crossing my path.”
The arrogance and confidence of this man should be studied. He really believes the entire pharmaceutical industry will simply bow at his feet.
Victor Sterling maintains his position a few feet away. His silver-gray suit catches the warm, golden light of the chandeliers. He adjusts his wire-rimmed glasses with a single finger. The smooth, playful demeanor slips from his sharp features for a fraction of a second. A distinct crease forms between his eyebrows.
It’s almost as though I can read exactly what is going through his mind.
He clearly recognizes the severe threat Julian poses. If Thorne Medical secures the SN1818 patent, Julian will elevate his family empire into the absolute top tier of global enterprises. Victor Sterling represents a rival corporate faction. He cannot afford to lose this bidding war.
Victor smooths his lapels. He recovers his composure rapidly.
"Dr. Aris might offer a recommendation," Victor Sterling says. His voice remains perfectly even and entirely composed. "But the ultimate decision rests entirely with Dr. Grayson. As long as the people running that laboratory are not completely blind, they certainly will not choose a man like you."
Julian bristles. He takes an aggressive step forward.
"He is entirely correct," I say even if I don’t want to interfere in the conversation anymore. I couldn’t say no to the chance to put Julian in his place.
Julian stops dead in his tracks. He snaps his head in my direction. His dark brown eyes widen in absolute shock. He clearly expected me to remain silent or perhaps run away in tears after his violent outburst. He never expected me to join forces with his enemy.
"Dr. Grayson will never sign a contract with you," I continue. I keep my posture perfectly straight. I look him right in the eye. "You are completely wasting your time tonight and you would go home in defeat. I promise you."
Julian’s face turns a dark, ugly shade of purple. The veins in his neck bulge aggressively against his crisp white collar. He points a shaking, manicured finger directly at my face.
"You are defending him?" Julian asks. His voice cracks with raw fury. "You are taking the side of a complete stranger just to spite me?"
I look at his shaking finger. I look at his expensive burgundy suit. He truly believes the entire universe revolves around his personal grievances.
"I am stating a simple, objective fact," I reply. My voice is cold and steady. "Your moral compass is fundamentally skewed. You build your success on lies, infidelity, and manipulation. Brilliant medical developers do not partner with spineless cowards."
Julian opens his mouth to scream. He inhales a massive, ragged breath.
I do not give him the opportunity to speak anymore. I’m absolutely done with the conversation. I turn on my heels and this time, I walk toward the grand spiral staircase at the back of the restaurant. The receptionist informs me that the meeting location has been changed.
Leo stays right behind me, his massive frame completely shielding my back from any sudden attacks.
** ** **
** JULIAN **
Rage burns the back of my throat like I just swallowed some cheap, poisonous whiskey.
I stare at Emily’s retreating back. She wears a tailored black blazer. She walks with a confident, effortless stride I have never seen before. She just insulted me in front of my biggest corporate rival. She called me a coward. She defended a stranger over me just to spite me and every cell in my body is boiling in anger.
"Emily," I shout. The sound tears through the quiet atmosphere of the luxury restaurant. Several wealthy patrons turn their heads to stare at me. I ignore them completely.
I sprint forward. I need to grab her arm. I need to wipe that arrogant, icy look off her pale face.
A solid mass of silver fabric blocks my path. Victor Sterling steps directly in front of me.
“Can you stop harassing the woman?”
"Get out of my way," I snarl. I shove my hands hard against his chest.
Victor stumbles back half a step. He brushes his suit jacket with absolute disgust, as if I transferred a disease onto his clothes. "You are making a public spectacle of yourself. It is pathetic."
"I will ruin you," I threaten him. I point my finger directly at his face. "I will buy that patent and I will bury your entire company. Watch your back."
I run past him. I chase Emily across the main dining room floor. She reaches the base of the grand spiral staircase. The sweeping steps are constructed of thick, frosted glass and polished brass railings. She walks up the stairs without looking back. The massive bodyguard in the dark suit follows closely behind her.
I reach the bottom step. I place my leather shoe on the first glass plank.
Two massive men step out from the dark shadows beneath the staircase. They wear matching black suits and clear plastic earpieces. They cross their thick arms and form an impenetrable human wall directly in my path.
"Halt," the man on the left says. His voice is a deep, gravelly rumble. "Do you possess a VIP card, sir?"
I stop abruptly. I glare at the security guard. "I am pursuing that woman. Move aside."
"The entire second floor is strictly reserved for VIP private dining," the man on the right states. He does not move a single muscle. "No entry is permitted without the proper black card."
I clench my fists. My fingernails dig painfully into my palms. I point directly up the curving staircase. Emily is halfway to the top landing.
"Did you ask her for a card?" I demand. My voice rises in pitch, echoing slightly in the stairwell. "Does that woman in the black blazer have VIP clearance?"
The guard on the left looks up the stairs. He looks back at me with complete, insulting apathy. "That lady is the personal guest of a VIP client. She is expected."
The words hit me like the guards physically punched me in my gut. I stand frozen on the marble floor.
A VIP client. The second floor of Bordeaux 101 requires a massive membership fee just to join the waiting list. It is an exclusive, highly guarded playground for the absolute elite of Asuir. Emily dropped out of medical school. She comes from a minor, struggling family. She wears cheap clothes. Since when does Emily Vance know people of such astronomical caliber?
I look up the spiral staircase.
Emily reaches the top landing. She turns around. She looks down at me standing trapped behind the security guards. A slow, mocking smile spreads across her face. She raises her hand. She gives me a slow, playful little wave.
She turns the corner and disappears from view.
I stand completely paralyzed. My breathing turns shallow and rapid. My expensive burgundy suit suddenly feels incredibly tight across my shoulders.
My phone rings. The sharp, persistent vibration breaks through my frozen state. I pull the device from my trouser pocket. Chloe’s name flashes across the bright screen.
I swipe the green icon and press the phone to my ear.
"Julian," Chloe says. Her voice is frantic and breathless. "Did you see Dr. Grayson? Did you make contact?"
I swallow the dry lump in my throat. "No. Not yet."
"What do you mean, no?" Chloe demands. Car horns honk loudly in the background. "Professor Chase specifically said Dr. Aris arranged to meet Gemme Tate at Bordeaux 101 tonight. They are inside that building right now."
"Dr. Grayson is on the second floor," I reply. My voice comes out harsh and hoarse. "The entire upper level is restricted to VIP members. The security detail is massive. I cannot get up there."
Chloe lets out a frustrated, angry sigh. "This is a complete disaster. Do not leave the lobby. I am stuck in terrible traffic on the ring road. I will arrive within half an hour. We will wait by the front doors and intercept them when they leave."
I stare at the empty glass staircase. A dark, ugly thought begins to take root in my mind. The coincidence is simply too massive to ignore. Two people I know are walking the halls of this restaurant tonight.
"I saw Emily," I say. I keep my voice very quiet.
"Emily?" Chloe asks. The confusion in her tone is obvious. "Where did you encounter my pathetic sister?"
"She is here. Inside Bordeaux 101."
A sharp, mocking laugh erupts from the speaker. "That is absolutely impossible. Emily cannot even afford a glass of tap water in a place like that. She is probably working there. Did you see her carrying a tray? Is she a waitress?"
The malicious thought blossoms fully in my brain. Emily acted completely arrogant. She sneered at me. She walked past the velvet ropes without a single glance backward. She relies entirely on her new, mysterious connections to fund her attitude.
"She is not a waitress," I say. I grip the phone tightly. "She went up the spiral staircase to the second floor. The bouncers told me she is the personal guest of a VIP client."
A loud, violent screech of rubber tires echoes through the phone speaker. Chloe slams on her brakes in the middle of moving traffic. The sound of angry drivers blaring their horns fills the brief silence.
"Are you insane?" Chloe screams. "That cannot be real."
"I saw it with my own eyes," I insist. My agitation spikes dangerously. I pace in a small circle near the security guards. "She even waved at me from the top landing. Someone with immense wealth and a black card brought her here tonight."
I hear Chloe breathing heavily over the line. Her mind works frantically. I can practically see her calculating the social hierarchy of the entire city.
"Who holds a VIP card at Bordeaux 101?" Chloe mutters to herself. "Politicians. Foreign investors. Old money families. Emily does not know a single person of that stature. It makes absolutely no sense."
The puzzle pieces crash around in my head. Emily was always quiet. She was always studying in the library. She never attended charity galas. She never networked with elite businessmen. She possesses absolutely no social leverage.
"Wait," Chloe says softly. The frantic, screaming energy in her voice completely vanishes. A terrifying, sudden clarity replaces it.
I stop pacing. I press the phone harder against my ear. "What is it?"
"I just realized something," Chloe says.
The line goes extremely quiet.